Nathan South, a senior at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), recently completed a six-week study-abroad program in Thailand focused on agroecology and entrepreneurship. The program, organized by the International Sustainable Development Studies Institute in northern Thailand, allowed South to explore the coffee, chocolate, and cannabis industries through classroom learning and hands-on fieldwork.
South, who is majoring in biology with a minor in entrepreneurship, learned about the opportunity from FGCU’s Global Engagement Office. The institute collaborates with Thai communities to offer programs centered on ecological, cultural, and sustainability issues.
During his time in Thailand, South spent two weeks in Chiang Mai studying the history and cultivation of coffee, cacao, and cannabis. “We covered general concepts on each plant, understanding how they grow and their historical and cultural significance globally and within the country,” he said.
The program included visits to local farms. “After the classroom, we took field trips to local farms to see the practices in action. When we learned about coffee, we went to Doi Saket to Nine One coffee farm and stayed a night to learn about sustainable coffee farming and specialty coffee activities. When we covered cannabis, we traveled to Lamphun to Rimping Best Flower to visit their indoor and outdoor farm and see every step of the process of cannabis cultivation,” South explained.
For the chocolate segment of the program, students visited Siamaya chocolate company. “They craft high-quality chocolate with unique flavors like khao soi, a very popular savory chicken and noodle dish served in Thailand,” South said. “We got to visit his factory and make our very own bars of chocolate.”
South also completed an internship at Huay Hom commercial coffee farm in Mae Hong Son province. “I worked at the Huay Hom commercial coffee farm that sells beans to Starbucks and other places around the country,” he said. “I lived there with the village leader and his family, learning the ins and outs of how coffee is farmed while conducting research on how coffee can get such diverse flavors depending on how you cultivate it.”
Reflecting on his experience, South noted its impact on his academic goals. He plans to pursue graduate studies in biomedical sciences or engineering before seeking a doctorate with hopes of becoming an astronaut. He believes this experience will contribute positively toward those ambitions.
“This program broadened my perspective within the sciences and gave me the opportunity for hands-on research within agroecology and agronomy. It provided me more appreciation in constant agricultural practices that keep the world going around daily,” he said. “It also made me inquire how I could apply agricultural studies in a space science perspective, since I am already engaged in research studying biological space science.”
South was able to participate thanks to scholarships facilitated by FGCU’s Global Engagement Office. “I was on the fence about joining this program because I was financially strained, worried about graduating on time and pursuing other opportunities that could support my career,” he said. “I learned almost last minute that I was able to have some scholarships that could pay for the program, and that this program offered an internship opportunity as well as a research project to conduct while in the internship, which checked all my boxes.”
According to Dechen Albero, assistant director for study abroad programs at FGCU’s Global Engagement Office, more than 350 undergraduates participated in international experiences during 2024-25. Albero highlighted several benefits: “Study abroad is transformative for students in many ways,” Albero said. “They are exposed to a new culture, language and way of living. They meet people from all over the world and learn about different ways of knowing, doing and being in the world. They develop tangible skills like the ability to adapt to changing situations and communicate cross-culturally.”
Albero added that most FGCU students choose large European cities for their study-abroad experiences but encouraged others to consider immersive field-based programs like South’s: “I wish more students would consider stepping outside of their comfort zone and consider these types of field-based experiences as they are often once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that hold immeasurable value both personally and professionally,” he said.
South joked about one lasting effect from his internship: “Be prepared to become a complete coffee snob when you come back,” he said. “I’ve been enlightened on what a good cup of coffee should taste like. I haven’t been the same man since.”
